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Plant-based diets and urological health.

Nature reviews. Urology
April 1, 2025
Stacy Loeb et al. (7 authors)
Journal ArticleReviewHuman Study
Study Details

Study Goal

The researchers aimed to evaluate the association between plant-based diets (with limited salt intake) and the risk of urological conditions, including kidney stone development.

Results Summary

The study found that plant-based dietary patterns, which include limiting salt intake, are associated with a lower risk of kidney stone development compared to diets high in animal-based foods and salt.

Population

Individuals with or at risk of urological conditions, including prostate cancer, bladder cancer, kidney cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia, urinary tract infections, erectile dysfunction, and kidney stones.

Effective Dosage

Not specified

Duration

Not specified

Interactions

None mentioned

Extracted Claims (10)
InterventionDirectionEndpointPopulationDosageImpactClaim #
plant-based diets
decrease
urological health
-
-
associated with benefits for
#1
healthy lifestyle modifications including plant-based diets
decrease
prostate cancer treatment outcomes
patients before and after prostate cancer treatment
-
suggest a favourable influence of
#2
diet higher in plant-based and lower in animal-based food
decrease
aggressive prostate cancer
-
-
associated with a lower risk of
#3
diet higher in plant-based and lower in animal-based food
increase
quality-of-life scores
-
-
associated with better
#4
vegetarian or plant-forward dietary patterns (increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and minimizing meat)
decrease
bladder and kidney cancer
-
-
associated with a lower risk of development of
#5
plant-based dietary patterns
decrease
benign prostatic hyperplasia
-
-
associated with a lower risk of
#6
plant-based dietary patterns
decrease
urinary tract infections
-
-
associated with a lower risk of
#7
increased consumption of healthy plant-based food
decrease
erectile dysfunction
-
-
associated with a lower risk of
#8
plant-based dietary patterns that are high in fruits and vegetables with normal calcium intake, while limiting animal protein and salt
decrease
kidney stone development
-
-
associated with a lower risk of
#9
increasing consumption of plant-based foods and reducing intake of animal-based foods
decrease
multiple urological conditions
-
-
has favourable associations with
#10
Abstract

Plant-based diets have grown in popularity owing to multiple health and environmental benefits. Some evidence suggests that plant-based diets are associated with benefits for urological health. In genitourinary oncology, most research has focused on prostate cancer. Clinical trial results suggest a favourable influence of healthy lifestyle modifications including plant-based diets before and after prostate cancer treatment. Epidemiological evidence shows that a diet higher in plant-based and lower in animal-based food is associated with a lower risk of aggressive prostate cancer and better quality-of-life scores than a diet with less plant-based and more animal-based food. Studies on bladder and kidney cancer are scarce, but limited data suggest that vegetarian or plant-forward dietary patterns (increased consumption of fruits and vegetables and minimizing meat) are associated with a lower risk of development of these cancers than dietary patterns with fewer fruits and vegetables and more meat. With respect to benign urological conditions, epidemiological studies suggest that plant-based dietary patterns are associated with a lower risk of benign prostatic hyperplasia and urinary tract infections than non-plant-based dietary patterns. Compared with diets high in animal-based foods and low in plant-based foods, a substantial body of epidemiological evidence also suggests that increased consumption of healthy plant-based food is associated with a lower risk of erectile dysfunction. Plant-based dietary patterns that are high in fruits and vegetables with normal calcium intake, while limiting animal protein and salt, are associated with a lower risk of kidney stone development than dietary patterns that do not follow these parameters. Overall, increasing consumption of plant-based foods and reducing intake of animal-based foods has favourable associations with multiple urological conditions.

Medical Subject Headings (MeSH)
HumansDiet, VegetarianMaleProstatic NeoplasmsDiet, Plant-Based
Study Links
Quality Scores
SafetyNot Assessed
Efficacy70/10
Quality80/10
Citation Metrics
Total Citations1
Citations/Year1.0
Research Impact Scores
APT Score0.05
Weight Score2.78
Normalized Score0.64
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